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TSSA is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to advancing the teaching and learning of cognitive education in Southern Africa and beyond.
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Our core mandate is empowering schools to develop a culture of critical, creative, and innovative thinking to foster independent, life-long learners and problem-solvers. TSSA offers workshops, online courses, a Roadshow with workshops held in the major centres of South Africa, and in 2025, the International Conference. TSSA works with a full range of public and independent schools.
All TSSA workshops, in-school training and network meetings are SACE registered for CPD points, and TSSA is an ISASA corprate member.
Latest News
SAPA CONFERENCE 2024
12th - 14th September
Dr. Sonja Vandeleur has been invited to speak at the South African Principals Association 2024 National Conference on September 13, 2024, at the Emperors Palace Conference Centre in Kempton Park, Johannesburg. The theme of the conference is "Connecting Through Diversity: Shaping the Future of Education Together." The focus of Dr Vandeleur’s presentation will be on aligning teaching and learning with the needs of students preparing for the future. A key aspect of this alignment is helping students develop the ability to think critically and tackle complex challenges in a multitude of settings. Dr. Vandeleur looks forward to initiating discussions on this important topic.
ISASA Deputy Heads Conference
Come and visit the TSSA stall at the ISASA Deputy Heads Conference from 15th - 18th September at Parklands College, Cape Town. Come and chat to Dr Sonja Vandeleur about TSSA's upcoming events, including the International Conference on Building Cultures of Thinking in May 2025.
TEACH Brilliantly Webinar Series
James Nottingham
James Nottingham, keynote speaker, well-known author, and educational consultant, presented a Webinar series in May 2024. In the series of three webinars, he discussed student engagement, enhancing student efficacy, and celebrating progress as well as achievement.
Feedback from the delegates:
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I loved it. I am a lecturer in Education and it gives me prompts to support my teaching and show my future teachers how it should be.
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The series was all good and I gained valuable information. I do, however, love the idea of the learning pit. Gen Z'ers tend to think that if you make a mistake you are stupid. They don't realise what goes into change and learning.
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The most significant thing I am going to use in my classroom is that engagement is thinking and that students need to show their thinking via a white board. Thinking must be made visible.
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James is an engaging speaker with practical advice that is based in experience from being in a classroom.
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Thank you for a superb 3 webinars, each was "brilliant" in its own context.
James is presenting the TEACH Brilliantly Webinar Series II on 9th and 16th September.
Find out more by going to https://www.tssathinkingzone.org/webinar.
Primary Science Project
Throughout the first six months of the year, Dr Julie Dunstan (reFLEXions, Bermuda) and Dr Sonja Vandeleur (TSSA) presented three four-hour online sessions on the following topics: 'Developing a Culture of Motivated Learners', 'Cultivating Growth Mindsets in Education', and 'Strategies for Mindfulness, Self-Awareness, Self-Regulation, and Interpersonal Skills'. This were well received, and we hope to continue this partnership with PSP.
Whole School Implementation: Thinking Maps®
Three schools in the Metro East Department of the Western Cape have participated in workshops on implementing Thinking Maps® into their classrooms. Elmarie Petersen was the trainer at Westbank No 1, Rainbow Primary and Hoofweg Primary School. All teachers for all subjects and across the grades attended these workshops.
Thinking Maps® for High School
All teachers at Durban Girls' College attended a 6 hour workshop on Thinking Maps on 11th January. The Thinking Maps provide a shared visual language for learning. There are eight Thinking Maps that correlate to eight cognitive processes and can be applied across all content areas and all grades.
The feedback from teachers was in the form of one of the Visual Thinking Routines: I used to think .... Now I think ....
Here is what some teachers wrote using the "I used to think... and now I think ...":
I used to think Thinking Maps® are: Now I think Thinking Maps® are:
- like mind maps - linked to 8 cognitive processes
- used for summaries only - used for different applications
- going to change my thinking - a useful tool to enhance learning
- not going to be useful in high school math - will aid my teaching
- very cumbersome and complicated - attainable, user-friendly, agile, adaptable, useful, illuminating
- too much for me to fathom - perfectly doable
- a creative way to engage students
- provide us with opportunities to enhance teaching and learning
- abstract - a collaborative instrument that helps teachers and learners engage with content on a different level​
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